1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical socket device and a circuit board device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a product commonly known as a solder-less breadboard and a product commonly known as a prototype circuit board, and particularly to a new connection structure that, when used in conjunction with either or both of these prior boards, creates an entirely new method of interfacing electronic circuits that appears to be far superior to any other method available to date.
2. Description of the Related Art
All solder-less breadboards and breadboarding systems available to date are substantially similar to the breadboard design disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 235,554. This solder-less breadboard is a reusable platform on which temporary electronic circuits can be built, tested, modified and evaluated without having to solder the various electronic components and wires in place. It comprises an insulated electrical socket, or sockets that contain spring clip electrical connectors with a plurality (usually five) contacts spaced on 0.1 inch centers that individual pins or leads of electronic components and wires plug into. There are two basic parts. The first is a distribution strip, which contains one or two rows of connectors running in the same direction as the row that are all electrically connected together, such that it distributes an electrical signal or power to every contact in the row from end to end, with each row electrically isolated from each other, thus distributing two separate voltages or signals. The second is a terminal strip, which typically contains two rows of connectors each having five contacts on 0.1 inch centers running perpendicular to the direction of the row. All the connectors are parallel to each other and electrically isolated from each other. The two rows are electrically isolated from each other and the nearest contacts in each row are spaced on 0.3 inch centers, such that integrated circuits in DIP packages can be plugged into the center of the terminal strip, with each pin plugging into a separate connector. This leaves four available contacts running perpendicular to the integrated circuit and parallel to each other to carry signals to or from the pins. A terminal strip is placed between two distribution strips, such that power or signals run parallel to each other on opposite sides of the terminal strip and perpendicular to the signals on the terminal strip, such that power can be applied to any desired connector on the terminal strip by a short piece of wire from the closest contact on the distribution strip. Wire jumpers can be used to connect signals from any pin on any integrated circuit to any other pin. All other components required by the circuit such as transistors, SCRs, TRIACs, LEDs, etc. must also be plugged into other unused connectors on the terminal strip and then signals run to or from their pins which are interconnected by resistors, capacitors or wires. While there have been many embodiments of this design over the years, including various lengths of the individual pieces, and various mixing and matching of the various pieces of various lengths to create various shapes, sizes and larger capacity systems, there have been no real changes to the functionality of the design. That is to say that the method of placing components and making the required electrical connections between the components in order to build a circuit has not changed. While all of the various embodiments of the design are in themselves extremely useful tools they also all present the user with certain challenges and frustrations that are inherent in the design.
The solder-less breadboard is designed to accommodate integrated circuits in dual inline packages as well as resisters, capacitors, inductors, diodes, transistors and other various components in 3, 4 and more pin packages. The first problem arises out of the fact that 3 and 4 pin devices must be placed in the terminal strip area. This takes up valuable room which lessens the number of integrated circuits that can be placed on the board.
The second problem arises when the various signals on various pins of the integrated circuits need to be interconnected through resistor voltage dividers or resistor/capacitor networks, both of which are common and normal when working with operational amplifiers, timers and mono-stable devices. Again the interconnections of these associated components must be made in the terminal strip area taking away even more room for integrated circuits.
The third problem arises out of the fact that the signal pins on the integrated circuits are practically never in an order that is compatible with pin order of the 3 pin devices. This results in a jumble of crisscrossing interconnecting wires that make the circuit hard to follow and increases the probability of incorrect connections being made in the circuit. This also makes it much more difficult to troubleshoot the circuit and make modifications to the circuit as needed.
The historical solution to these problems has been to use a bigger breadboard. While this solution is very desirable to the breadboard manufactures, it is not cost effective to the user, from which arises the fourth problem: it results in building an extremely large circuit that for obvious reasons is more difficult to transfer to a smaller more usable prototype circuit board for rigorous testing or to a suitable circuit board for the final intended use of the circuit.
The fifth problem arises out of the fact that there is no standardized set of size for size, connection for connection compatible prototype circuit boards available that would allow the user to quickly, easily and accurately transfer the circuit to a circuit board for rigorous testing or final building.
The sixth problem arises from the fact that existing solder-less breadboards and prototype circuit boards are not available in sizes that are compatible with existing standard sized enclosures that are readily available and economically affordable.
The seventh problem arises from the fact that in an engineering environment every new circuit requires a draftsperson to formalize a new schematic, then the new schematic is sent to CAD/CAM to create artwork for a new circuit board design. Then the artwork is used to make a new circuit board, which then has to be drilled and sent back to engineering in order to build a prototype for testing. Any result of testing that requires a change in the circuit also requires this entire process to be repeated. This can be a long process, requiring weeks, months, or even years, to complete a final working prototype.
All of these problems are time consuming and frustrating to the user. When companies are fighting the clock to get their products on the market, time can be more than money, it can be the difference between failure and survival.
Examples of analogous and non-analogous previously proposed breadboards are disclosed in the following analogous and non-analogous U.S. Patents.
The breadboard design of the present invention solves the problems described above. Accordingly, it is a first aspect of the present invention to provide a new method of interfacing electronic circuits by use of a new system of solder-less breadboard devices and new prototype circuit board devices that contain a new apparatus, while at the same time making the physical dimensions of the devices, with respect to both size and mounting hole, compatible with readily available standard size enclosures and also to provide a new system of add on devices that will allow existing breadboards and breadboard systems to be upgraded in order to allow them to support a new method for interfacing electronic circuits. In order to achieve this first aspect of the present invention, a new electrical socket device is made of an insulated material, having on its top surface at least twelve linear groupings of at least three holes in each group on predetermined, e.g., 0.1 inch, centers, that are aligned on a bottom surface with at least three rows having at least four channels, each channel containing an electrical connector or elongate electrical conductor having at least three contacts on predetermined, e.g., 0.1 inch, centers that are electrically connected together, with all the connectors being electrically isolated from each other, and all the connectors in each row being separated from each other by one space, and each row being offset from each adjacent row by at least one space, such that an array of spaces is formed, with each space in an interior row being the center of a diamond shaped four pin socket, that has a contact at each of its four points, that originate from a different connector, whether the new socket device is molded in a separate piece, or the new socket device is combined with components of at least one other socket similar to either of the sockets found in a conventional breadboard as shown in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 235,554, such that the new socket device can be used with other sockets similar to those sockets in conventional breadboards for the purpose of creating a new solder-less breadboard design for interfacing electronic circuits, or such that the new socket device is combined with both sockets similar to the sockets in conventional breadboards molded in one piece, thereby creating a new solder-less breadboard device for interfacing electronic circuits.
Further, according to another aspect of the present invention, A new printed circuit board device (as shown in FIG. 12) is made of an insulated material, having on its top surface at least twelve linear groupings of at least three holes in each group on 0.1 inch centers, that are aligned on the bottom surface with at least three rows having at least four copper foil traces, each trace having at least three pads with drilled holes on 0.1 inch centers, with all the traces being electrically isolated from each other, and all the traces in each row being separated from each other by one space; and each row being offset from each adjacent row by at least one space, such that an array of spaces is formed, with each space in an interior row being the center of a diamond shaped four pin socket, that has a pad with a drilled hole at each of its four points, that originate from a different trace, whether the new printed circuit board device is a separate piece, or the new printed circuit board device is combined with a foil trace pattern that is equivalent to a socket similar to either of the sockets disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. D235,554 on one circuit board, or whether the new printed circuit board device is combined with foil trace patterns that are equivalent to both sockets similar to the sockets disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. D235,554 on one circuit board which creates a new printed circuit board device for interfacing electronic circuits.
Further, according to a third aspect of the present invention, a new electrical socket device according to the first aspect of the present invention (as shown FIG. 4), is molded in a separate piece such that the new socket device can be used with other sockets similar to those sockets disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. D235,554 for the purpose of creating a new solder-less breadboard device (as shown in FIG. 7) for interfacing electronic circuits.
Further, according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a new electrical socket device according to the first aspect of the present invention (as shown in FIG. 6) combined with components of at least one other socket similar to either of the sockets disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. D235,554, is molded in one piece such that the new socket device can be used with other sockets similar to those sockets disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. D235,554 for the purpose of creating a new solder-less breadboard device (as shown in FIG. 9), for interfacing electronic circuits.
Further, according to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a new electrical socket device according to the first aspect of the present invention, combined with both sockets similar to the sockets disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. D235,554 is molded in one piece (as shown in FIG. 11), which creates a new solder-less breadboard device for interfacing electronic circuits.
Further, according to a sixth aspect of the present invention, a new printed circuit board device according to the second aspect of the present invention, that is combined with foil trace patterns that are equivalent to both sockets similar to the sockets disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. D235,554 is made on one circuit board which creates a new printed circuit board device (as shown in FIG. 12) for interfacing electronic circuits.
Further, according to a seventh aspect of the present invention, a new system for interfacing electronic circuits that is created by making a new solder-less breadboard device according to the fifth aspect of the present invention (as shown in FIG. 11) and a new printed circuit board device according to the sixth aspect of the present invention (as shown in FIG. 12), that are size for size and connection for connection, identical to each other, such that any electronic circuit that is built on the new solder-less breadboard device can be reproduced exactly on the new printed circuit board device, thus creating a finished working prototype without having to design and build a unique printed circuit board for the electronic circuit.
Further, according to an eighth aspect of the present invention, a new system for interfacing electronic circuits that is created by making a plurality of new solder-less breadboard device according to the seventh aspect of the present invention (as shown in FIGS. 14, 16, 18 and 20) and a plurality of new printed circuit board device according to the seventh aspect of the present invention (as shown in FIGS. 15, 17, 19 and 21) in matching pairs (as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, 16 and 17, 18 and 19, 20 and 21) such that each pair of devices fit directly into standard sized enclosures, with both devices in each pair having mounting holes that align with the mounting standoffs that exist in the standard sized enclosures, thus allowing mounting without need of modification to either the device or the enclosure.
Further, according to a ninth aspect of the present invention, a new method of interfacing electronic circuits (as shown in FIG. 13) is created by using a new electrical socket device according to the first aspect of the present invention (as shown in FIG. 11) for interconnecting resisters, capacitors, diodes, etc. and connecting transistors, FETs, SCRs, TRIACs, etc. on a solder-less breadboard in an area outside of the terminal strip, such that all interface functions like input signal conditioning, timing, clocking, inter-circuit level changing and output drivers can exist on the same breadboard without sacrificing integrated circuit capacity in the terminal strip, thus making breadboarding quicker, easier and neater while building circuits that are cleaner, easier to follow and more compact.
Further, according to a tenth aspect of the present invention, a new method of interfacing electronic circuits (as shown in FIG. 13) is created by using a new printed circuit board device according to the second aspect of the present invention (as shown in FIG. 12) for interconnecting resisters, capacitors, diodes, etc. and connecting transistors, FETs, SCRs, TRIACs, etc. on a printed circuit prototyping board in an area outside of the terminal strip, such that all interface functions like input signal conditioning, timing, clocking, inter-circuit level changing and output drivers can exist on the same prototype board without sacrificing integrated circuit capacity in the terminal strip, thus making prototyping quicker, easier and neater while building circuits that are cleaner, easier to follow and more compact.
Further, according to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, a new method of interfacing electronic circuits (as shown in FIG. 13) is created by using the new method according to the ninth aspect of the present invention, on anew solder-less breadboard device according to the seventh aspect of the present invention (as shown in FIG. 11) and then exactly reproducing the electronic circuit by using the new method according to the tenth aspect of the present invention, on a new printed circuit board device according to the seventh aspect of the present invention (as shown in FIG. 12) thus dramatically shortening the time required to go from concept to finished working prototype.
Further, according to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, a new method of interfacing an electronic circuits (as shown in FIG. 13) is created by using the new method according to the ninth aspect of the present invention, on a new solder-less breadboard device according to the eighth aspect of the present invention (as shown in FIGS. 14, 16, 18 and 20) and then exactly reproducing the electronic circuit by using the new method according to the tenth aspect of the present invention, on a new printed circuit board device according to the eighth aspect of the present invention (as shown in FIGS. 15, 17, 19 and 21) thus dramatically shortening the time required to go from concept to finished working prototype and allowing the new breadboard device or the new printed circuit board device to fit directly into a standard sized enclosure without need of modification to the device or the enclosure to secure mounting.